Pea Gravel Calculator
Work out cubic yards, tons and bags of pea gravel for patios, paths, play areas and drainage.
What you need
1.30cu yd
Pea Gravel needed — Order this much loose material, including your waste allowance.
- Same amount in cubic feet
- 35.0 cu ft
- Approximate weight
- 1.81 US tons
- Area you are covering
- 200.0 sq ft
- Bags needed
- 70
Useful for checking trailer, truck or wheelbarrow limits.
Rounded up — you can only buy whole bags.
Estimates for planning. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering — see the assumptions below for the figures used.
How to use the pea gravel calculator
Pea gravel is the small, smooth, rounded stone used for informal patios and paths. Because the stones are rounded they shift underfoot, so depth and edging matter more than with crushed stone. Enter your area to get volume, weight and bag counts.
What this calculator assumes
Every estimate depends on figures that vary by supplier and conditions. These are the ones used here, so you can sanity-check the result against your own quote.
- Bulk density is assumed to be about 2,800 lb per cubic yard. Loose material varies with moisture and how finely it is ground, so treat the weight as an estimate.
- One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Suppliers almost always sell loose material by the cubic yard.
- Results include whatever waste allowance you entered. Bag counts are rounded up.
- Pea gravel runs about 2,700 to 2,900 lb per cubic yard; 2,800 is used here.
- Because the stones are rounded, pea gravel needs firm edging or it migrates into the lawn.
Frequently asked questions
How deep should pea gravel be?
Two inches over a compacted base of crushed stone. Three inches or more feels like walking on ball bearings and makes chairs and tables unstable. If you want a deep loose layer, use it as drainage fill rather than a walking surface.
Does pea gravel need edging?
Yes. Rounded stone will not lock together, so without steel, stone or timber edging it spreads into the surrounding lawn or beds within a season or two.
Is pea gravel good for a patio?
It is cheap, drains freely and looks informal, but it shifts under chair legs and is awkward for anyone using a stick, walker or wheelchair. A compacted crusher-run base under a thin pea gravel layer helps a lot.
How do I measure my area for pea gravel?
Measure the length and width in feet at the widest points and multiply them. For an irregular bed, break it into rectangles, circles and triangles, calculate each one separately and add the results together. Rounding up slightly is safer than rounding down.
Should I order bulk or bags?
Bulk is almost always cheaper per cubic yard once you need more than about 1 cubic yard — roughly 54 bags. Bags win when you need a small amount, have nowhere to dump a pile, or want to spread the job over several weekends.
Will a cubic yard fit in my pickup truck?
A half-ton pickup can usually carry about 1 cubic yard of light material like mulch, but only around half a cubic yard of wet soil or gravel because of the weight. Check the weight figure above against your vehicle's payload rating before you load up.
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